Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-09-24
CURTIS CONCLUSIONS.
In Regard TO Matters Closely Connect
ed with Profitable Pig Culture.

In Regard TO Matters Closely Connect
ed with Profitable Pig Culture.
fonce knew bunch of pigs which
ran in a field, ate grass, and rooted a
little; were fed little shelled corn
scattered on the ground, and two meals
of slop made of water and wSeat mid
dlings, says F. ID. Curtis. writing to the
Country Gcntlem1n There weEs near
ly score of them, and they were thrifty
and pictures of health. They slept un-
der shed all enclosed. except an open
door in the m ddle, through which they
entered. Their bed was dry, and a
fresh lot of straw once in while made
it inviting. Here was a real pig para
disc. and the sprightly ways and bright
looks of the inmates were proof beyond
dispute. of comfort, health and rapid
growth.
By-and-by winter came. The shed
vas required for sheep, and the pigs
were shut IN large building with a
lot of straw put in one corner for a
bed, and the rest of the space for
feeding place, and other uses natural
20 the pigs. Outside of the bed and
around the troughs the place soon
became muddy, and this wet and mud
dy condition soon extended over the
bed; and if new lot of straw was
thrown upon it, in one day it would be-
come saturated. Here the pigs would
pile upon each other. and the steam
would rise from the mass of uncomforts-
bic and struggling animals until each
one was hot and wet
The pigs were fed twice as much grain
as they had had while in the field anl
shed. but still there was no visible gain
They all looked gaunt and staring. In
a few weeks they began to cough, and
some of them to pant showing an af-
fection of the lungs, or at least more
or less congestion. Not long after the
weaklings began to die. They would
be found under the pile, smothered.
These cases of death were not those of
cholera but of disorder known as
stupidity. 1t is q disease which RACES
among the owners of live stock more
than with the animals, but unfortun-
ately the animals suffer the most. This
man got the scales off his eyes, saw
things as they were, and reasoned out
a better plan.
He put the pigs in lots of five. grad
ed according to size. He gave each lot
pen by themselves, and room TO eat
and move about in one place, and a
bed in another. The bed was alway s
dry and the place warm. The pigs
which were not too far gone recovered,
and the rest began to grow and did
well. Here are practical lessons,
which apply the year over. and the read
er can Judge regarding them. A more
careless man, and one indifferent to
the comfort of his animals would have
left things rs they were and no doubt
would have lost all his pigs in short
time. There are many cases of just
such management with hogs which re-
suit fatally, and are ascribed to cholera
os some contagious disorder.
am satisfied that hogs should not
be kept in hot or close place. or in 8
basement where the manure is put A
farmer recently consulted me about
putting his hOg-pens under his barn in
an extended basement His plan was
to drop all of the manure from the
barn and cow stables into this base
ment, and let the hogs live on it and
work it over.
This would make the place damp
and more or less wet under foot, the
very conditions unsuited to swine, as il
was the intention of the owner to wal
it all in, so that it would not freeze. l
is not necessary that playhouse should
not freeze, but it is necessary that the
air should be free from dampness ant
the chilliness which is connected with
a cellar or warm. damp place. Hog:
are very susceptible to colds, both in
ward and outward, and to rheumatism
I believe it is law. which cannot b,
broken with impunity, that the human
species will become sick when confined
to damp quarters. The results are jus
the same with swine. The air must b.
dry and pure; above ground is the onl,
place to keep hogs. Hogs do not min'
the cold. If they can be dry and clean
and can get into q good bed wher
they can partially cover themselves
The bed should always be located wher
no drafts or currents of air will bloy
upon them. They never do well whel
this is the case, and much of the sick
ness of hogs is due to such exposure.
A Pig does not perspire like horse
and on this account it should never b
driven fast or chased by dogs. 1t onl
takes little hurrying to get pig YER
much heated, and often fatal results
will follow. If an overheated pig is ex
posed to the cold, it will cool too sud
denly, and be likely to have turn @
congestion in some vital part. The
will often worry each other to a degre
that is dangerous from overheating
In hot weather l have saved a ho
which was feshy, from dying whe